Annabelle Maddox had been one of the best pilots in the Alliance. Being wired directly to her ship had hampered her social life, but she had been content. An attack on a space station left her nerves damaged beyond repair, she needed a place with no electrical tech to live, so her friends pulled some strings and made it happen for her. Avari was a peaceful and tranquil world, the inhabitants friendly and helpful. Anna is mightily impressed with one in particular, and he with her. But a more intimate connection must wait until Avari Nyx.

Chapter 1 Excerpt:

Annabelle Maddox floated gently in the tank, swaying as the liquid moved around her. A soft rapping on the glass echoed in her ears and she opened her eyes to those of her visitor. Well, she would have if her visitor had eyes. A face-plate framed by a cloak embroidered with marks of the Imperial house of Haldis looked in at her.

“You planning on coming out of there anytime soon, Anna?” The speakers reverberated the sound through the tank.

Anna nodded and swam to the surface, hauling herself out of the top of the tank. Then, removing the breathing apparatus she tugged on a robe. Her chestnut hair dripped onto the fabric as she stepped down the ladder and greeted her visitor.

“Hey, Negotiator Tyrell. What brings you to the silence and serenity of Kya Ghada?” Anna nodded for her companion to follow her as she led her through the temple halls and into the open meditation quarters. Her feet padded wetly on the cobbled stones.

A serene garden flowing with fountains and streams, stone benches, and statuary greeted them as they wandered through the pathways. They took a seat in one of the unoccupied benches and Anna waited for her companion to speak. She waited quite a while with her hands folded in her lap.

“You know, you are the only other human I know who can stay still for so long.” Tyrell was compelled to admit that she was impressed.

“Well, you are the only human I know who has chosen to live in a can. When do you get out by the way?” Anna was curious. The negotiator had already been in the armor much longer than Alliance standard. Three years was the limit for negotiator service, Tyrell was closing in on her fourth.

“Enough about me. That’s not why I’m here.” The metallic voice was impatient. Anna smiled, after four years in a pilot’s harness and she could understand the subtle tones better than anyone.

“Okay. Then am I to imagine that this is not just a visit to an old friend?”

“No.” A sigh shook the speakers on the faceplate. “You know by now, that after the blast you took, you are no longer fit for service.”

Anna’s face clouded, “I know. I was hoping that I could be repaired, but I know.” That part of her life had ended when they had to pry her from the seared circuitry of the Alliance battle cruiser that she had been part of. It was a career-ending injury.

“I’m sorry. I know how much you love flying.” A gauntleted hand reached out to take one of the small human ones in a gentle grip. “I’m here to give you information regarding your new assignment.”

“It’s ok. So, where am I off to?” A falsely chipper tone took over.

Anna pasted a bright smile on her face, practicing an expression that the link to her ship had made unnecessary. She had to force her face to take on expressions since she was decanted after the attack. When you looked through the eyes of cameras and monitors, smiling was unnecessary.

“You are being sent to the planet Avari. It is tech restricted, and nothing should irritate your nerve endings there. They don’t have anything beyond Iron Age allowed on the surface.” Tyrell was all business once again. “With, of course, an exception for a communication’s center.”

“So you’re throwing me alone into the wild? Isn’t that a little harsh?” Annabelle’s mouth twisted in amusement. She did appreciate the lengths that the Alliance, and Tyrell had gone too, to insure her comfort. Being around any electrical impulses after the Arena Station attack was intensely painful.

Annabelle had been a pilot. She had been hard-wired into the service systems and navigation controls of the ship. The ship had felt like her own body, each system was a corresponding match to her own flesh.

When the Alliance ships, including her battle cruiser, attacked the Arena Station the defense systems had kicked in automatically. It had caught her by surprise. An electronic pulse had been sent into her hull and then through her. She had kept herself conscious as her body felt like it had been dipped in acid, her nerves on fire, and brought her ship around to defend the attack fleet. They had destroyed the defense systems in short order and set about freeing the kidnapped members of the Alliance.

This included Anna’s friend Kyra. They had been in basic orientation together with Tyrell and a few others and had formed a bond that stretched across time and through space.

Anna frantically sought more information. “Ok, so, am I on my own there or is it inhabited?”

“It’s inhabited. A race called the Avari, oddly enough. They are an Alliance founding race. A village elder named Tarun Bien will meet you. He will help you adjust to your new surroundings.”